


#sheithmermay Drabbles

by DropsOfAutumn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drabbles, Each drabble stands on its own, FemSheith smut in Chapter 10/Day 14, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, MerShiro, Monsters & Mana (Voltron), Please check the notes for additional tags, in Chapter 20/Day 26, merkeith, mostly Rated G, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 19,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24178009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DropsOfAutumn/pseuds/DropsOfAutumn
Summary: "It's beautiful," Keith whispers, while he watches purple fade into blue fade into red, shaping whirls on the surface of the water. It's not long before the bathwater turns a deep dark blue, but it shines with the light of a thousand stars.It will take ages for the golden glitter to get off his fin, but Keith doesn't mind. He wants to keep the glitter forever, a proof of his bath in the universe."I can't take you with me to the stars," Shiro whispers as he bends forward, his lips grazing Keith's ears. "So I wanted to bring the stars to you."Keith’s heart melts.**Or: A collection of Mermay drabbles from May 2020, around 300-1000 words each
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 59
Kudos: 70





	1. Day 1: Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 1: Boat  
> Meet-cute, MerKeith, Shiro being saved from drowning

***

Keith hides behind a coral when he sees the shadow on the surface.  
Humans liked to call this shape a boat, he has learned as much when he spent hours listening to sailors telling tales of foreign lands and heroic deeds.  
The boat here is tiny, fitting only one human, Keith notices as soon as he leaves the safety of the coral's shadow and breaks the surface.  
Just to face the deep misty eyes of a human, staring back at him with wide eyes from where he's squeezed into the tiny float.  
Was squeezed, to be precise, because it's the second their eyes meet that he topples over and splashes into the water. 

Only then does Keith notice he only has one arm – one he can hardly use to swim. So he rushes towards the stranger, his dark red fin speeding through the water.  
Damn humans and their inability to breathe underwater, Keith curses to himself as he grabs the man. 

He's heavy in his arms as Keith drags him back to the surface. The man finally catches his breath when they come up for air, trapped underneath the toppled boat. 

For a second, Keith's heart stops a beat. The stranger is beautiful, here, like this, with his hair wet and his skin glistening with the reflection of the water playing around them. With the angry scar above his nose and his eyes filled with wonders. 

"Wow, you really are a mermaid!" His voice is even more beautiful, Keith thinks, as he says "Keith. Name's Keith."

It's nothing more than a breath, but it's enough to put a heartbreakingly beautiful smile on the stranger’s lips. 

"Nice to meet you, Keith," the stranger answers and there are wrinkles in the corner of his eyes.  
"I'm Shi–" He continues, but Keith's hand reaches out to touch the smile on the stranger's face. 

"You're beautiful."

***


	2. Day 2: Sunset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 2: Sunset   
> Mershiro, pining Shiro, tiny bit of mystery

Shiro loves coming here during sunset, when the lights paint the shore in all shades of red.   
The water is calm and the rocks are still hot under his touch, heated by the unforgiving summer sun. 

And just perfect to warm his fin while he curls around a small tide pool, watching the sun set in the sea.   
And him.

The lonely human boy with the sad eyes had one day appeared out of nowhere on this rocky shore, the place Shiro had loved to call his secret hideaway. 

Now Shiro has to share his secret with a boy with hair as dark as the deepest see and features as delicate as corals. The human is mesmerizing to watch, but Shiro knows better than to let his guard down. It’s one thing the stranger knew about his secret spot, and an entirely different to let a human know about the merfolk. 

And so Shiro spends his evenings watching the boy staring into the horizon, his gaze longingly and a sigh on his lips. Shiro does not know why he feels so drawn to him. He only knows how much his heart longs to wrap the stranger into his arms and rub the sadness from his brow. 

It would be easy, too easy, to let his guard down and slither closer, Shiro thinks, trying hard to peak through the rocks without getting noticed. 

Apparently too hard, as the slippery underground is all it takes for Shiro to stumble and fall forward, crashing into the tide pool with a loud splash. 

He curses as he sits up, hoping his clumsiness got by unnoticed – just to stare into the sad eyes of the stranger, now widened in shock and surprise.

"Shiro?"


	3. Day 3: Bathbomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 3:  
> MerKeith, Established relationship, Soft Fluff

One thing is for sure: Keith prefers swimming in the wide ocean instead of squeezing his fin into a tiny bathtub.

Not that he complains, Shiro's bathtub is big for human standards, and his fin does have moderate space to wiggle around. Still, Keith hates how the tub not long enough to fit his whole fin, leaving him with the option to sit upright or let his fin dangle off the other side of the tub. 

"Why would you build a tub if you can't swim in it?" Keith complains. He only gets a chuckle in response from Shiro who sits behind him, braiding his hair.   
Shiro's fingers are careful where they slide through it, wrapping single strands around each other in the delicate weave Keith had shown him time and time again before.  
It's become a tradition for Shiro to place a kiss onto the end of his braid once he's done - but it still leaves Keith with warm cheeks when he does so. 

"I've got something for you," Shiro smiles and stands up, only return a minute later with a ball in his hands. 

Not exactly a ball, Keith notices, when Shiro places it in his hands. 

The sphere is tainted in all kinds of blue and purple swirls and decorated with golden stars. it's beautiful to the eye, but... 

"Put it into the water!" The smile is soft on Shiro's lip and Keith wants to kiss it. Instead, he lowers the sphere into the water - and his eyes fixate on the mesmerizing swirl of colors before him. "It's beautiful," Keith whispers, while he watches purple fade into blue fade into red, shaping whirls on the surface of the water. 

It's not long before the bathwater turns a deep dark blue, but it shines with the light of a thousand stars. It will take ages for the golden glitter to get off his fin, but Keith doesn't mind. He wants to keep the glitter forever, a proof of his bath in the universe.

"I can't take you with me to the stars," Shiro whispers as he bends forward, his lips grazing Keith's ears. "So I wanted to bring the stars to you."

Keith’s heart melts.

**


	4. Day 4: Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 4: Siren   
> Soulmates, mention of Shiro’s past relationship, Endgame Sheith,   
> Tiny bit of angst with happy ending

***

Each siren is born with a song. The song that makes their hearts beat fast, makes their limb tingle with life, makes them want to dance and scream the words from the top of their lungs. And, so it’s said, when they find their soulmate, singing together feels like finding a missing puzzle piece, their songs combining to the most beautiful duet.

Keith does not believe in finding his soulmate through singing. Because Keith has no idea how to sing. 

Which, in fact, is a problem as a siren. 

"You'll be fine, the voice will come to you," his teaches tell him before they ban him from music classes when he's singing off-key again.

"It's going to be okay, my dear," his mom tells him as she braids his hair with corals and seaweed. She sings the most touching lullabies and calms him with a lull in her words "One day, you'll sing the most beautiful song, and your soulmate will answer." 

"I believe in you!" Shiro says when Keith loses hope one day. Shiro is everything Keith longs to be and so much more. His voice is stunning, making Keith’s skin prickle every time he listens to his song. His song, that he sings to another merman. Their songs don’t align, Keith notices. 

Shiro knows. “We still want it to work,” he says.   
But their songs don’t align and neither do their hearts.

Keith does not hear Shiro sing for a long time.

In fact, it’s two years later when their path cross again, Shiro freshly appointed palace guard and Keith back from traveling the open sea with his mum.

Keith still has not found his voice. But the second he falls back in Shiro’s arms, enveloped by his strong arms, Keith is flooded with a certain warmth. A warmth that makes his heart beat fast, makes his limb tingle with life, makes him want to dance and scream words from the top of his lungs.

And for the first time, Keith sings. 

***


	5. Day 5: Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 5: Candy  
> MerKeith, established relationship, Shiro showing Keith the pleasures of jelly stars

***

The candy Shiro brings him that day looks like stars. Golden, reflecting the light when the sun hits it.

It gives in when Keith presses it between two fingers, watching with awe as it jumps back into form as soon as he lifts the pressure.  
"Try it!" Shiro says. He can't resist the big smile on Shiro's face, too pure to be ill-meaning. He trusts Shiro enough to know that he won't regret it.  
Still, placing the star in his tongue takes a lot of courage.

And his mouth explodes. In the best way.

The candy tastes nothing like the seaweed cookies his dad tries to make once a year but fails desperately. Or the sweet seashells they sell on plankton markets back at home. No. 

The sweetened seashells can't compare to this. Keith's never tastes something as sweet, as tasty, melting against his tongue and making his eyes go wide. A piece of the star sticks to one of his fangs and it takes a lot of work with his tongue to get it off again. 

The moment he tries using his lip is the moment he hears a very weird sound from Shiro. He completely forgets about the piece of - jelly? had Shiro called it that?– sticking to his tooth.

"You okay? Are you hurt?" Keith bends forward, his eyes searching Shiro's body for any kind of discomfort. Maybe he’s hurt his legs from crossing them over each other? He might not have legs himself, but Keith knows how his fin can go all prickly if he doesn't move it for too long. Maybe it's the same with human legs?

"No, it's fine!" Nothing is fine. Not when Shiro's face is bright red in front of him. He knew it, they should not have met in the mid-summer sun.  
He should have listened to Pidge, telling him how human skin burns too easily.

"Shiro, you're bright red, you're sick!" It looks weirdly familiar, like the one time Lance had tried to eat jellyfish and nearly choked on it.  
But still, Shiro shakes his head. "No, really, I'm..."

Keith feels the warmth of Shiro's hand against his jaw. The flesh one, the one that feels so much like his own and yet so different.

"I'm just very happy you like them so much. Those are my favorites." Keith could get lost in the beauty of Shiro's eyes, in the way he looks at him like Keith had given him the most beautiful pearls, right from the deepest sea. How Shiro's hand always makes him feel safe and warm and at home.

But sometimes, Shiro could say very strange things. "I thought I was your favourite," Keith pouts.

And Shiro's laugh is deep and beautiful, just like the sea.

***


	6. Day 6-9:  Frozen, Tears, Spring, Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #Sheithmermay Day 6: Frozen, Tears, Spring, Call  
> MerShiro, Meet-Cute, Town outcast means fairytale creature, but make it #nsfw (Rated M) with vague mentions of MerDick and intercourse in a freshwater spring.

***

It's winter when Keith finds him.

A creature he only knew from the fairytales the old people in his village used to tell children to scare them away from swimming in the mountain lakes. Because they have sharp teeth and sharp claws and can swim fast. And once they catch you they will snag you underwater, make you drown, drown, drown before they skin and eat you.

Keith never believed in those fairytales. As a young man, it was a test of courage to take a dip in the lake and he had made it out alive and kicking, no lake creature or merfolks grabbing him.

But here he is, standing in front of a creature, a man, so beautiful, so ethereal, frozen in eternal ice. The crystals reflect in the white hair that curls all the way down before ending around the black fin. Keith could not see claws, just fingers that looked rather human. Five in total. Because there is only one arm and a lot of scars. Even in the dim light of his torch, Keith can see how the sea of scars scatters across the pristine white canvas of his skin, his broad chest, the angry red color playing over the bridge of the man's nose. His features are mesmerizing and Keith wonders what his face would look like once he opened his eyes.

He's so fascinated he does not notice how he lifts his hand, touching the cold prison where the man's heart is. buried beneath a thick wall of ice. It's surprisingly warm to the touch when it starts to glow, illuminating the cave in bright light before it goes as fast as it came. And with it, the ice is gone.  
Leaving the merman in his arms, the sudden weight making Keith stumble backward and fall to the floor. The man in his arms stirs, making soft noises that send goosebumps to Keith's arms.

But that's not what catches Keith's attention.  
Because when the ice vanished, so did the man's fin.  
Leaving him with a naked human body in his arms.

**

Spring comes to the valley the same way Shiro sneaks his way into his heart: slowly, surely and suddenly his heart is in full bloom. Shiro’s eyes are bright as starlight, his skin is light as marble, his teeth have tiny fangs and it’s the most adorable sight.

And Shiro’s laughter… oh, his laughter fills his vein with fire Keith sometimes forgets how to breathe.

With the naked and unconscious merman in his arms, Keith’s decided it was no use letting him freeze to death in the mountain cave, so he wrapped him in his scarfs (more for modesty than for real warmth, the scarfs were too thin and had holes in them) and carried him home. The way down the snowy mountain was not easy, but when he placed the stranger in his bed near his fireplace and the man’s white hair shines red in the firelight, something tells him he has made the right decision.

They try to make this weird living arrangement work. 

Keith, hunter and outcast, was used to living alone, to spending his days without saying a word, without having to rely on any human interactions for weeks.  
Shiro, at least that’s the name he remembers, is talkative, asking questions about the most mundane things and their function, like “why would you use a chair” and why he was supposed to wear shoes. 

When he walks on two legs for the first time, Keith has to hold him in his arms, trying to steady the wobbly steps. When Shiro burns his fingers in the fireplace for the first time, Keith tends to his wounds while telling a wide-eyed Shiro about forest fires and burning houses.

Shiro asks him to cut his hair and a single tear rolls down his face when the white strands fall to the ground. He can’t remember a lot about his life before the ice came over him, has no recollection of how he got where Keith found him. But every time Shiro comes into contact with water, his legs would turn into the beautiful black fin Keith had found him with. 

They find an easy routine like that.

Keith takes Shiro on a hike to the mountains where Shiro spends hours swimming and lazying in the lakes, sometimes pulling Keith with him, sometimes telling stories about his childhood while Keith sits on the meadow and just listens to tales about merfolk and fairy tale creatures.

On their way back to Keith’s hut they would stop by a ledge to watch the sun set in the mountains and Keith tells Shiro stories about the village, about his life, about how his dad died in a raging fire and his mother had to flee to a faraway kingdom.

When they come home, they would squeeze into the small bed, listening to each other’s heartbeat.

And when Shiro kisses him for the first time, Keith feels like coming home.

** 

It’s hot as summer when he pulls Shiro down into the spring. He can feel Shiro’s breath against his lips, feels the shivers running down his spine. The cold water plays around his hips as he kisses Shiro with the same fire that’s making his pulse quicken. It’s not the first time he has seen Shiro without clothes - They’ve shared a bed in more than one way since their first kiss months ago. But here like this, with both of them naked, soft skin and chapped lips pressing against each other, Shiro obviously just as heated as Keith… a deep moan leaves Keith’s mouth as he licks into Shiro’s mouth.  
There’s a word of protest on Shiro’s lips before Keith makes him stumble forward and fall into the water – Shiro’s fin splashing water everywhere.

“Keith; we can’t...” Shiro starts, but Keith is more than eager to let his hands wander over the wet scales around Shiro’s hip.  
“Says who?” There’s a smug grin on Keith’s face as Shiro’s eyes widen, an adorable pink settling around the scar on his nose. Maybe he shouldn’t have jumped to a conclusion, but Shiro’s spent the whole day watching him swim with a hungry gaze from where he’s been sunbathing just minutes ago. And Keith knew too well what effect his naked butt could have on Shiro.  
“Unless you don’t want to. Say the word and I’ll stop,” Keith mumbles, averting his eyes. He can’t even blink before he’s enwrapped by Shiro’s arms, by his strong body, a welcome weight engulfing him completely as they tumble backwards into the water. Shiro’s kisses are passionate, demanding, but oh so soft, as Keith lets their bodies slide together. With a skillful flick of his fin that Shiro flips them around, so Keith can feel the sun warming his skin while Shiro’s under the surface. 

it’s so different from their usual ordeal, kisses hidden under covers, touches only shared in private, four legs entangled with sheets. Shiro giggles against his ear as he lets his hands wander, as he catches Keith’s wrists and guides them where he wants them. Keith feels very proud to make him stop giggling with his hands alone, the sounds coming from Shiro’s lips instead, like music to his ears.

As Shiro enters him, slow at first, but firm, strong, it makes Keith forget everything but his lover’s name that he recites in a prayer. Because out here, he’s Shiro’s. And Shiro’s is his. His, his, his.

In the aftermath, they let their bodies float, hands intertwined, sharing chaste kisses and soft smiles, giddy like teenagers in love when Keith presses his lips against the scar on Shiro’s nose. And Keith never wants this to end. 

**

Autumn marks the end of many things.

Keith wakes up one day and his bed is empty and cold and he throws a blanket over his naked body as he hurries outside.

He finds Shiro, equally naked, surrounded by golden autumn leaves, staring into the distance. “The mountains are calling me back,” he whispers and Keith’s hand finds his shoulder. 

Keith’s voice is filled with determination when he speaks. “So we will go. Together.”

Shiro kisses him.

***


	7. Day 10 & 11: Hair & Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 10 & 11: Hair & Witch  
> Arranged Marriage / MerSheith / Mentions of Galran war and Honerva / Fluff

***

When he is 5, Keith's mother tells him about the importance of their tribe’s different braids.

By the time he is 10, he knows 10 kinds of braids by heart. Knows all sorts of different loops and woven patterns. Braids that are adorned with pearls, worn by his mother do show her family's pride. Braids that, as single ones, don't mean anything, but interwoven into one big braid, looped around the neck, they stand for the qualities of a good leader. It's the braid he always sees his uncle Kolivan wear, leading their folk with pride.

By the time he is 15, Keith is allowed to finally leave behind the simple braid of a youngling. And when his mother braids the pearls into his hair during his coming of age ceremony, proclaiming him a young merman, he feels a pride flutter in his chest.

The braided pearls are accompanied by the elaborate weave of their Marmoran warrior braid as soon as Keith joins his folk to fight for liberation from the sea witch.

By the time he is 20, the war is over and nobody has won. Rather, Keith finds himself dressed in white shells and with his mother weaving seaweed into his hair. "It's for a lucky marriage," and Keith knows she's trying hard not to cry over her only son's arranged marriage. Keith had volunteered, had decided to do the only thing saving his clan. And still, as he swims up to his future husband, the merman he will spend the rest of his life with, he's engulfed by nervousness.

What strikes him first is the short hair of his betrothed, the Altean merfolk surely has different traditions, such as braiding weals of shells that tangle around his future husband's fin. His hair and fin are as white as seafoam and his smile is beautiful like the waves. Keith sends him a shy smile in return, overwhelmed by the ceremonial ritual to bind their two tribes.

The merman, Shiro, as he whispers into Keith over dinner before he places a kiss into Keith's knuckles, is charming, warm, open.

They make it to their cave after the celebrations and Shiro fidgets with the shells adorning his fin, a nervous chuckle.

Keith swims up to him, lacing his fingers through the white strands. "Your hair is beautiful," he whispers into the space between them. 

"They say it looks like starlight," Shiro answers.  
"What is starlight?" Keith wants to know. Because everything that looks as pristine as his husband's hair and fin must be ethereal. 

"I.. I have to show you one day." Shiro looks up at him, his voice soothing.

"Please show me," Keith says and Shiro's hand finds the braid hanging over his shoulder, the one his mother took special care of today. 

It's the braid he wears since he defeated a Galran clan leader. "Only if you show me how to do these beautiful braids."

*

When Keith joins his mother for breakfast the next day, she only smiles at the beautiful new braid framing Keith's face.

The symbol he wears to show everyone he’s found his true love.

***


	8. Day 12: Message in a Bottle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay day 12: Message in a Bottle  
> Meet-Cute / guess who’s the merman / Fluff / Penpals

***  
Shiro finds the first bottle on a sunny day late in spring when the sand is warm with the promise of the first summer days. 

"Hi. Whoever this reads. I just want to know if this works. Please return to the sea. K"   
Shiro reads the scrawly words with a smile on his lips and takes the message home, carefully drying the paper while he asks his mum for pretty paper and some ink. 

He writes "Hello K, nice to meet you. I'm Shiro." 

He tells K about the weather, about his day, about not having anyone to talk to since this whole island is inhabited by old people and kids that don't look at him because he's missing an arm and has a weird scar on his face.   
It's nearly dark when he runs back to the beach and carefully places the bottle in the ocean, watching the waves carry his words away.

When he returns the next morning, before breakfast and without his socks on, too curious for his own good, Shiro finds the familiar bottle in the sand.  
"Hello Shiro." The message reads. "Your parents suck." Shiro chuckles as he reads the words. 

Keith tells him stories about his life and Shiro finds he knows a lot about fishes but not a lot about their village. The message ends with a question. "Would you like to become penpals? Keith".

In the evening, he brings the bottle back to the waves, watches closely until he can't see the glass reflect in the sunlight anymore. He hopes that Keith will get his message. 

"Nice to meet you, Keith. I would love that very much. Shiro"

They fall into a rhythm like that. Shiro places a bottle into the waves in the evenings – and the same bottle appears the next morning on the beach. Sometimes it takes a couple of days longer for Keith to reply, sometimes Shiro can’t find time to write the lengthy reply Keith deserves. They talk about the weather, about animals (Keith knows A LOT about sea creatures while Shiro tells him everything about lions.), about everything and anything. His mother asks him one day why Shiro is smiling over breakfast. He beams at her as he tells her about his new best friend. 

He tries to ask Keith where exactly he’s living. It would be so amazing to meet him during summer holidays, Shiro scribbles down. Keith’s reply takes a few days and he’s sorry, so sorry, he writes, but his parents really don’t want him to have guests over and he can’t stay. 

Shiro never presses for more.

As seasons go by, their conversations fill pages and pages, and their talks fall into politics, heartbreak, death, and war. On a particularly cloudy day, Shiro wishes for nothing more than Keith’s words to wash to his shore and soothe his aching soul. 

They never fail him.

As seasons turn into years and years into a decade, Shiro finds his words shift. 

Finds "Dear Keith, days are grey without your letters." turning into "Dearest Shiro, I'm sorry it took me so long.” 

He finds the courage to write "My dear Keith,” in his letter and his heart skips a beat when Keith’s reply reads “My dear Shiro.” 

His hands shake from nervousness when he places the next bottle into the waves, the message that starts with "Beloved Keith," and ends with “yours forever, Shiro.”

The message he gets in return has tear stains on it, but Shiro does not care, not when he reads the first words. 

“Beloved Shiro.”

Shiro crosses out “Love" because he wants to say these words in person. 

He writes "My heart" instead, followed by the shortest message he has ever written to Keith: "I want to meet you."

The following days leave him a mess. He waits three mornings for a reply from Keith, the tension eating him away slowly and the tears coming at night, the salt still on his cheeks when he steps onto the beach in the morning and spots a familiar bottle and a message written in beautiful scrawly letters.

"I want to meet you too."

They decide to meet on the shore, on a warm day in spring. The sand under his feet feels exactly like it did all those years ago when Shiro picked up the bottle for the first time. But now his feet nearly fly over the sand, driven by his heart pumping in his chest. 

And then he sees him.

Dark hair, seaweed wrapped around black strands. The most amazing purple eyes he has ever seen. And the most beautiful fin, dark red and glistening in the sunlight.

"Keith!" Shiro whispers. The bottle in his hands drops into the sand. It really is Keith. Shiro’s dreams had never done him justice. 

"Shiro, I'm..." He starts. But words are not necessary, though, not when Shiro bridges the space between them in two big steps. pressing a kiss to the merman's lips. He feels tears running down Keith’s face, but there’s a warm smile on his lips when they part. It’s breathtaking.

"You're beautiful," Shiro whispers, only for Keith to hear. Here in his arms is the most perfect being he's ever got to know. He'd be a fool to ever let go again.

"I love you."

***


	9. Day 13: Galaxy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 13: Galaxy  
> Prince Keith and Guard Shiro / MerSheith / Fluff

***  
The first time Shiro takes him to the surface, Keith is barely more than a young merman, and Shiro has just joined the royal guards. 

Keith knows he’s supposed to stay in his room after dinner, especially since they have ambassadors from another merfolk visiting, but he might have let it slip to Shiro that he has never seen the night sky during one of their training session.

Shiro’s everybody’s darling, Keith knows as much, charming all his teachers and officers into playing favors. There’s no way General Kolivan would let such a young and (in their eyes) unexperienced merman become part of the personal guard of the crown prince, otherwise. 

Little does Kolivan know about Shiro’s smug smile when he appears at Keith’s door and whisks him away to the surface.

The night sky is clear and beautiful when Shiro tells him about constellation and nebulas. The light of the full moon reflects in Shiro’s eyes and Keith can’t help himself but hang on Shiro’s lips, absorbing all the stories the young guard tells him like a sponge. 

*

They make it a habit. 

Shiro would knock on his door three times after dinner to sneak out of the palace and they would spend hours watching the stars from the surface and sometimes they would even see the sun rise in the horizon. When they get caught by Keith’s mum or Kolivan, they try to charm their way around Keith getting grounded and Shiro having to swim extra laps. 

It barely works.

At least Keith can see Shiro working out from his room, can see the head-turning smile on Shiro’s lips that he throws in Keith’s direction. 

And it makes Keith’s heart flutter to know that it’s his smile to keep.

*

Being a prince of the Malmoran merfolk came with a lot of advantages: a good education, a lot of tasty food and a dashing personal guard with abs of steel, and a smile so warm it made his skin tingle. It also brought disadvantages, such as having to choose a possible suitor from the candidates his mum presents. 

Keith doesn’t even need to see them to know that he will turn every possible suitor down. Because none of them is Shiro. 

None of them knows where to look for him when all of his duties get too much. 

Like Shiro always does. 

“Keith, your mother is looking for you,” Shiro says as soon as his head breaks the surface.

Keith fixates his eyes on the stars. He doesn’t want to see the disappointment on his Shiro’s face. “It’s unfair,” he says. “All I want to do is to be among the stars.”

“Keith, you can’t go up there, you know that.” Shiro’s voice is firm when his hand finds Keith’s shoulder.

Keith feels a lump in his throat as he turns to Shiro. As soon as he sees the moonlight in the beautiful eyes, illuminating the white strands in Shiro’s hair, Keith knows what he has to say. “I’m not talking about the stars up there.”

“Keith,” Shiro whispers, his voice soft.

“Shiro.” Keith places his hand against Shiro’s jaw, his thumb grazing over the soft skin of Shiro’s cheek. 

“You are my galaxy and I want to stay with you forever.”

***


	10. Day 14: Sailor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 14: Sailor  
> FemSheith, MerShiro, SailorKeith, Rated E  
> Sailor Keith goes skinny dipping and Shiro loves to watch her. Until one day she’s too curious and wants to touch those beautiful legs. Or rather: the space in-between (fingering and oral sex incoming)  
> inspired by [this tweet](https://twitter.com/Bibliocuriosa/status/1242484317864873986) and a prompt by christie <3

***

Shiro loves to the last hours of the day lazing on a stone near the ocean when the sun tints the waves a beautiful orange. She loves watching the sunset, loves listening to the calming sound of waves. But most importantly, she loves to watch the young sailor row her small boat into the secluded lagoon. Every day. Like clockwork, the sailor’s always on time. 

And Shiro can’t keep her eyes from her.

The sailor is pretty, with short black hair and stern eyes and lean arms, peeking from underneath her shirt. Shiro’s sure the sailor would be able to hoist her out of the water and into her boat, easy like that. The thought makes something in Shiro’s fin tingle. 

From where Shiro is sitting on the rock, she has a first-row seat to watching the beautiful woman row her boat in strong and steady strokes. Until she stops in the middle of the lagoon and looks around. 

Looking for intruders is not really necessary. 

Except for the young sailor and Shiro, nobody ever comes to visit this hidden spot with the crystal clear water and the beautiful corals glistening in the sun. 

Once the sailor is sure there’s nobody watching (Shiro knows for sure she can’t be seen from where she’s hiding between two rocks), she stands up. 

This will be forever Shiro’s favourite part. 

The way the woman strips out of her clothes, lets her hair fall to her naked back while she throws her shirt carelessly to the bottom of her boat is mesmerizing. The way her naked breasts are illuminated by the sun, small and perking up against the chill breeze, makes Shiro’s chest flutter. 

But the most amazing part is the moment when the woman lets her pants fall down, revealing the most beautiful pair of legs, curving just right, and a most perfect butt, all round and firm, lovely and begging for Shiro’s hands to dig into.

To be fair, Shiro hasn’t seen a lot of naked human butts before, but the sight sends shivers down her spine. That woman is right out breathtaking.

It’s been countless days like these. Like clockwork, the woman would come to the secluded lagoon every sunset. And like clockwork, Shiro would sit on her rock, watching the woman bathe in the clear water, dip her head underwater and let her body float. The way the water plays around the beautiful bosom of the sailor is just too beautiful for Shiro to look away. 

It takes a lot of willpower for Shiro to slide from her rock, but curiosity wins today and the sight of the lovely butt underwater is just enough for Shiro to swim closer to the bathing sailor. From up close, the legs are even more mesmerizing, the way they tread through water, helping the woman stay afloat, so much more delicate than the clumsy stroke of Shiro’s fin. If only she could touch this beautiful creature. The soft skin must feel amazing when it’s wet like this.

To her defense, it’s been days and weeks watching from afar and Shiro can’t help to get carried away. And when her hands land on the woman’s legs, soft fingers tracing over the curve of the sailor’s calves, Shiro is in heaven. 

And the woman startles. Shiro continues tracing her legs, the soft muscles that bend with every kick. Damn, Shiro thinks, legs are so gorgeous.

Shiro has to stop admiring the piece of art that the sailor’s legs are when she’s forced to the surface by two strong hands pulling her up.

”It’s you!” Of course, the woman had to have a voice that made Shiro’s heart beat faster. 

“You.. know me?” Technically speaking, Shiro’s always figured her rock would not be the best hiding place. But the knowledge of the woman knowing Shiro’s been watching her all the time does /things/ to Shiro’s head.

“Yeah, you’re not exactly a pro in hiding.” The woman still has both her hands around Shiro’s arms, holding her up firmly. She’s just as strong as Shiro’s imagined.

“You’re not afraid of me?” Shiro asks, still a bit shy about being caught like that. From the way the sailor puts her hand on Shiro’s jaw and cradles her face, she knows the woman doesn’t hold a grudge for Shiro. Quite the opposite. 

“You’re beautiful,” the woman says. Her eyes are the most gorgeous shade of purple Shiro has ever seen. 

It’s overwhelming.

So overwhelming the only thing that leaves her lips is “Oh.” 

“Been wanting to talk to you for ages. I’m Keith.” A soft thumb grazes Shiro’s lips as the woman – Keith – presses their foreheads together.

“Shiro.” Shiro curses herself for her inability to speak, but, /wow/, this woman really, really wants to talk to her.

“Well, Shiro, how about you...aah..” Shiro sees the shade of pink around Keith’s nose as Keith’s hand presses against Shiro’s collarbone.. ”...continue where you left off?”

And Shiro doesn't need to be told twice. As Keith pulls her into a kiss, Shiro slowly lets her fingers graze over soft breasts and a firm stomach, her hands splaying over the beautiful hips Shiro’s longed to touch for so long.

Here, between the most amazing pair of legs, Shiro finds her actual target. The coarse hair gets her curious, something she’s never seen before with any mermaid, and she lets a finger dip between Keith’s folds to explore the unknown. 

The soft gasp from Keith’s lips is beautiful, even when it makes them break their kiss. Keith’s face is so, /so/ pretty when her lips curve and her eyes are all clouded with pleasure. It tells Shiro exactly what she has to do. 

As her head submerges, she leaves soft kisses on her way down. Her lips graze Keith’s breasts and she can feel the woman tense in the best way. In the way she wants her to.

Her lips find their way between Keith’s legs like they are made for it. It feels overwhelming to feel Keith melt under her tongue, the way her legs kick in pleasure, the way her back bands. Shiro can even feel her toes curl against her fin.

The taste is addictive as it combines with the thrill of knowing she causes Keith pleasure from the way Keith’s fingers find their way into her hair, delving into her white strands with a firm grip. There’s nothing more arousing than Keith’s leg, Keith’s delicate and perfect leg, sliding over her body and curling around Shiro’s fin in search of something to hold on to. 

When Keith’s comes, she shivers underneath Shiro’s hands and mouth. She’s still shivering as Shiro resurfaces, panting against Shiro’s lips as she draws her into a kiss.

“It’s your turn next,” Keith whispers as they part, her eyes full of intent as they wander to Shiro’s breasts. 

And well, Shiro won’t complain.

***


	11. Day 15: Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 15: Roommates  
> MerCollege AU (or should I say 'univerSEAty?), MerSheith, Rated G, Meet-Cute

***

Ten minutes on campus and Keith already hates everything.

He hates the anchovies who have already found friends to school with. Hates the blowfish for arrogantly showing off in front of the gym and the octopuses for juggling their books in front of the library. The stingrays are flexing their fins close to the plankton gardens, and Keith hates that too.

But what he hates the most is that he has absolutely no idea where he is or where he's supposed to be going.

To be fair, he only arrived an hour late to campus because he might have taken the wrong exit from the current and had to swim all the way back to the Universeaty. The suitcase with all the belongings he'd thought he might need for his year far from home had not exactly been the lightest, and so when he finally got to campus, the introductory was long over and everyone had not only found a map of campus but had also found a friend.

Well. 

Everyone except for him.

"Go to college," his mum had said, smiling at him. "You'll find friends!" She'd said. 

Keith huffs.

Yeah. Because what exactly should be different from back home?  
Where nobody liked to talk to him, the weird loner who preferred to talk to his dolphin Kosmo and loved exploring caves while all the other fish and merfolk he had met were crazy about singing and braiding each other's hair.

His mum had only meant to encourage him, but what did she know about being a youngling in a pool of sharks that high-school had been for Keith?  
(Most literally. His favourite teacher had been a shark who taught marine-biology).

And why should college be any different from the past years when merfolk his age had only proven to be utter jerks?

It’s with a sigh that Keith slumps down on a coralbank. What a great way to start what his parents had called /the time of his life/.

“Hey, you okay?” Someone swims up to him, a male voice interrupting his moping. 

Oh great. He can’t wait to see which pufferfish decided to get on his nerves now. His eyes fall on a fin. So definitely no pufferfish.

Keith groans in return. “Do I look okay?” 

“Actually, you look like a blobfish who was run over by a stampede of craps to me, so. No.” 

Wow, how come that merman has the empathy of a shrimp? 

Keith is about to yell into the merman's face to get a cave. When looking up in said face stops him from doing so. 

Because the merman is... 

well, 

Keith forgets his words. 

/Wow/ is all he can think of. Beautiful black hair combined with a very muscular chest and a fin in the darkest black Keith had ever seen.  
All topped with the brightest poster-boy smile on his lips. 

Keith wants to punch it from his face.

He knows this type too well. Everybody’s darling, best grades, and never done something wrong in his life. 

And definitely not interested in hanging out with loners like Keith. 

“Hi, I’m Shiro. And you are?” No, seriously, how could that guy be so nice? There has to be something up with him. 

Beautiful and charming mermen had never paid attention to Keith. 

Ever. 

Fullstop.

“Lost. I am lost. And sulking. “ /Please bugger off,/ Keith wants to add. He hopes the way he crosses his arms in front of his chest is enough to make the merman swim off. Not getting attached has been the best way not to get hurt in the past. And he really wants it to keep that way.

But Shiro does not seem to get the message. He only holds out his hand for Keith to shake. “Hello lost and sulking, nice to meet you.” 

Keith buries his face in his hands. Shiro is a lost cause. “Keith. Name’s Keith.”

“Well Keith, welcome to campus. Let me show you around.” 

And wow, that smile really shines brighter than any anglerfish Keith’s ever seen. 

*

The Universeaty campus is huge. 

And Shiro shows him everything. From Whale schools to plankton farms and football fish fields. 

Even better. Shiro’s the first person who actually seems to care about him as a merman. He asks about his hobbies, about his home, and has tons of questions about his dolphin. 

“You have to show me pictures someday, can’t wait!” He smiles and Keith’s chest flutters. 

Shiro’s also handsome. So very handsome and charming and tells him about the campus, about which dishes he should definitely not try in the cafeteria, about his favourite subjects and about his wish to go and explore the deepest sea one day. 

And when he stops at what Keith thinks is his dorm room, there’s a heavy lump in Keith's stomach.

In the past hour or so, Keith’s become quite attached to Shiro. So much that the premise of parting and getting to know his roommate suddenly starts to sound terrible. 

“This is your room.” Shiro makes a show of opening the door and presenting the room. It’s way too overboard for the room that’s empty except for two shell-beds and two desks. 

It doesn't keep Shiro from beaming, though, before he clears his throat. “Which.. coincidentally also happens to be my room.”

“Nice to meet you, roommate.” 

And Keith's brain short-circuits.

***


	12. Day 16: Treasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 16: Treasure  
> Rated G, Island Mystery AU & Childhood Friends, Pining Shiro, guess one of them is a mermaid, Treasure Hunt.  
> Peter Pan vibes included.

***

"A mermaid hunt?" Keith blinks at him in disbelieve, eyes wide in surprise.

"Yeah! Matt told me there's a mermaid lagoon somewhere on this island. It's like a treasure hunt. Only with mermaids." Shiro is hyped ever since Matt put the treasure map in his hands. 

It’s an old one, with a pirate ship on it that’s definitely not there anymore. He does not know where Matt has found the map. But the beautiful drawing of a mermaid laughs at him from the bay on the other side of the island, close to the huge waterfall they had loved to play at, back when they were kids. 

Technically, he knows there should not be mermaids on their island. Their parents had lived here for generations and the most thrilling thing is the post boat coming by once a week, bringing letters for the elder and candy for the children. 

“What do you want to do if you catch a mermaid?" 

"Don't know. Ask her what it's like to live under water, I guess," Shiro explains and Keith bursts out in laugh and shakes his head. 

“Okay Shiro, let’s look for your mermaid.”

*

He loves exploring their little island with Keith. When they were younger, everything had looked like an adventure, from the stormy caves to the open treehouses, nothing remained save from them. Pirates, Knights, Tarzan, heroic deeds… Shiro still holds all of their adventures dear to his heart. 

And yet, exploring the island with Keith now, ten years later with Keith’s legs lean and long, perfect to jump over puddles and balance over fallen tree stumps, and with Keith’s toned arms, just right to climb trees or swing on vines… and with his hair soft and long, curling around his ears just like that, taking Shiro’s breath away… 

To be fair, it’s entirely his fault when Shiro stumbles over a rock and lands headfirst in the mud. In an instance, Keith is at his side, helping him up and cleaning him.

“Be careful, Shiro,” he says, and Shiro can’t help but get lost in the purple of Keith’s eyes. 

*

Of course, there is no mermaid in the lagoon. They had visited this place a thousand times when they were young. 

“Are you disappointed?” Keith asks, but Shiro shakes his head. He had never expected to find a mermaid in the first place.

“So, why do you want to see a mermaid so much?” Keith presses his hands in his sides when he steps next to Shiro, taking in the serene landscape of the island.

“Remember when everything on this island used to be magic? How we could take every rock and spin a thrilling adventure around it? I miss these days.” Shiro sighs, turning to Keith.

“Shiro.” A whisper escapes his lips as Shiro’s hand finds Keith’s cheek.

“And I miss you. I hardly see you these days.” 

Keith’s skin is soft under his thumb, and Keith’s lips are tender when they press against his. 

When they break their kiss, Shiro’s chest feels warm. At home. 

“Shiro, can you… can you turn around please?” Keith bids, but doesn’t let him turn before placing another kiss to his lips. 

“Don’t peek,” Keith adds as soon as Shiro finally turns around, closing his eyes for good measure. 

Shiro hears a splash of water and it’s so tempting to look. 

But he won’t. He had promised Keith not to.

“O..okay. you can look now!”

And when Shiro turns, he forgets how to breathe. Keith sits in the water, but where his knees should be, there’s a fin. A mesmerizing red fin, sleek and pretty and spotted with black dots, like some of the Kois Keith’s father used to grow in his garden pond.

But the most beautiful thing about Keith is his face, a light pink around his nose as Shiro walks up to him, cradling his face in his hands.

"Uhm, hi. Looks like I'm your treasure. You found me," Keith says.

“And you’re the best thing I could have wished for.” Shiro bends down to kiss him. 

***


	13. Day 17: Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 17: Blue  
> Rated M, MerShiro, temporary Mute!Shiro, mention of wounds, bit of Angst (but happy ending)
> 
> Keith finds a stranger on the beach and falls hard.

***

Blue is the color of the sky on the day he finds the man on the beach, stranded and hurt. Keith presses his shirt to his wounds and heaves him into his arms and brings him to his cottage by the cliff. The man is too big for his bed but when he wakes up, beautiful eyes look into Keith’s and soft lips mouth a “Thank you” and Keith has never felt so warm before. 

He calls him White, like the color of his hair. And the man smiles. 

Yellow is the color of the flowers the mute man hands him one day. He spends his day staring at the sea or tending to the flowers in Keith’s garden. They talk in touches and gestures. Keith has never been a man of many words and the stranger understands his subtle nods and the drop of his shoulders. By night, he shuffles underneath Keith’s blankets and holds him tight, mouthing against Keith’s collarbone. They don’t need words, not when the man’s fingers graze over Keith’s hips, not when Keith’s hands delve into white strands, not when Keith’s legs press him /closer/.

Green is the color of the reeds, the harsh wind blowing the plants against Keith’s knees as they part. As the man kisses him for the last time before he lets go of Keith’s hand and walks into the stormy sea, not looking back.

Red is the color of warmth, and it’s exactly what’s missing in Keith’s life. It’s as if someone has muted all the colors to greys and browns. Red is also the color of his skin in the evenings after Keith has spent his day in the sun, searching the beach and the sea for any signs of the stranger who took his heart with him into the sea. 

Keith falls asleep with crushed flowers in his hand and a tear on his cheek, dreaming about warmer colors and brighter days.

Black is the color of the merman’s fin when he appears on the beach one morning. Keith has never seen such a deep and beautiful black before. 

“I’m sorry,” the stranger says, but it does not matter, not when it only takes Keith three steps to get to the man he loves.

“I love you too,” the man whispers against his lips as he wraps his arms around Keith. 

Keith hardly lets him say anything more before he draws him into a kiss.  
And another. 

And another.

***


	14. Day 18: Magical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 18: Magic  
> Rated T, Fairytale AU, Prince!Shiro, mentions of blood and wounds (canon-typical violence), nymph!Krolia (Part 1 of 2)

***

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, lived a king and a queen. 

They wished for nothing more than a child, but years and years went by without their wish being fulfilled. 

When they've nearly given up all hope, the miracle happens and their son Takashi is born.

The kingdom celebrates for days and nights. There hasn’t been a male heir for years. 

Takashi is the light of their life, a fast learner and a diligent boy. He loves animals and books and spends his days fighting Matt, the stable boy, with his wooden sword. 

The king and queen could not be happier. 

Until one day the doors to the throne room open and Matt comes rushing in, a bleeding prince in his arms. They’ve been exploring the rocks underneath the castle, he explains with horror on his face. When suddenly a purple light shone bright and once it had stopped, Takashi was missing an arm and had a gushing wound over his face. 

His pulse tells them enough: Takashi is close to dying.

While the queen cries, the king makes a hasty decision “Saddle the horses, we need to go to the woods immediately.” 

Rumor has it there’s a secret pond, hidden in the depth of the woods, where a nymph lives. And if you bring her gold and secrets, she will grant you a wish. 

The king and queen arrive alone, only their son in their arms. They throw gold coins in the pond and promise the nymph everything if only she could save their son.

The nymph appears in the pond, her purple fin curling around the stones and her long fangs glistening in the sun. When she opens her arm, they willingly hand her Takashi.

“It’s a curse by the sea witch,” she explains in an instant, her long fingers and claws gently grazing the prince’s wounds. “Long ago, your land belonged to her realm, and your ancestors took what’s hers. Now she’s cursing all the male heirs in your bloodline.”

The king and queen are in shock, the story of the sea witch new to their ears.

“But can you save our son? Please, we give you everything, gold, land, whatever you...” The nymph raises her hand to stop the king’s words.

“We can save your son,” she says. “There’s only one condition.” 

The water turns a dark purple as she speaks, and when her fin uncurls, there’s a small bundle of seaweed floating on the surface.

“You’ve got take my son with you. Raise him in your palace and no harm will come to you or your son ever again.” On the cue, the small boy in the seaweed starts crying and the nymph cradles him in her arms.

“It’s too dangerous for Yorak to grow up with us. As much as it hurts me, I feel he’s safer with you,” the nymph says, handing the child to the queen.

To her surprise, the queen sees the boy, barely two years old, has legs where his mother has a fin. 

While the king hesitates, the queen is happy to agree to the pact. The idea of raising another kid in their palace in exchange for the life of her son seems not only a fair trade – but also a rather lovely promise. 

The nymph asks for three drops of royal blood to seal the contract, and the pond lights up in hues of red as soon as the king's blood hits the surface. 

A purple light engulfs their son, shining brightly where his right arm used to be. The light forms a new arm, one that’s shimmering in slight purple colors and is littered with scales, not unlike the nymph’s arm. The wound on Takashi’s nose closes, only a faint scar remaining. And once the light dims down, they see his black hair has turned to white, like starlight.

“It’s a sign he was touched by magic,” the nymph explains as she hands the boy to his father. There's a knife in her hands when she turns to the mother.

“Give him this once he’s off age. Tell him his mother Krolia loves him.” And the nymph kisses her son goodbye, a silent tear rolling over her cheek.

As they thank the nymph, the queen takes the boy and the knife while the king cradles his son in his arms.

And when they turn their heads to the pond one last time, the nymph is already gone. 

So they return to their castle with their son, alive and well, and a boy they call Keith.

*

(tbc)


	15. Day 19: Childhood Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 19: Childhood Friends  
> Rated T, childhood friends to lovers, Pining Shiro, including a dead king and kisses in candlelight,  
> Part 2/2 (Part 1: Day 18)

*

Takashi does not remember what happened that day. He remembers purple light and his shoulder hurting, and when he wakes up again he has a new arm and a new best friend. 

Because as they grow up, Keith becomes just that. 

His parents don’t tell him where the boy with the raven hair and the purple eyes come from, but his mother raises Keith if he was her son by blood. He’s not of royal blood and the whole court knows, but they take him in to learn the way of the sword, to protect the price at all cost.

He might be three years younger than Takashi, but Keith is the only one who beats him in sword fights, and who swims faster than any of the children in the castle. 

Keith becomes a friend that shares his love for the stars and rides with him into the sunset to watch constellations from the tiny cliff south of the castle walls when his obligations as a royal heir get too much. 

There’s not a single inch in his body that doesn’t trust Keith with all his heart. He likes to joke Keith is like his brother, but deep down he knows he’s so much more with his purple eyes and his adorable pointy ears he hides behind beautiful black hair. 

“We complete each other,” Keith says one evening, pointing at his black strands, while they are watching the stars and Takashi mourns his white hair. His words, combined with the mesmerizing view on Keith’s face illuminated by starlight, manage to take the prince’s breath away. 

Keith calls him “Shiro” from that point on. “Because it means white,” Keith explains and the prince spends days over books to find the language Keith used, but not one book in the whole castle could tell him.

Keith is also the only one who is allowed to see his arm. Because one evening he falls into his room when Shiro’s about to unwrap the bandages that hide his arm from plain sight. Keith’s eyes grow wide when he spots the purple scales on his skin, does not say a word when he steps closer and opens his hand, a silent bid to take a closer look. 

And because it’s Keith, Shiro follows willingly. 

Soft fingers trail over the scales on his forearm. Keith touches it like it’s made of glass. Maybe it is, Shiro thinks, because it’s fragile and he had already lost it once, he never wants to lose this gift again.

What Shiro does not expect is for Keith to go down to one knee in front of him, and lift the hem of his pants. And when Shiro sees the beautiful purple scales adorning Keith’s marble skin, he thinks for the first time that maybe destiny has brought them together.

“I told you we complete each other,” Keith says, and hugging him has never been so easy. 

Growing up is hard on Shiro when Keith grows into his long legs and the lean muscles of his biceps move a sword gracefully. Shiro knows he’s the only one who makes him break a sweat during their sword fights, and the pain of losing is bearable when it’s Keith pinning him to the ground again. 

Because Keith above him, his face all red and flushed, is a picture Shiro burns into his mind.

Shiro’s handmaid just raises his eyebrow every time she has to exchange his bed linen after one of his dreams that involved Keith in any state of undress.

*

Before Shiro comes off age, his father goes out to fight against an army that’s unknown to Shiro.

And when the message of his death reaches the castle and Shiro finds himself at his own coronation, Keith holds the royal cape for him and kneels before his new king, offering his sword and his life to protect him.

“You’re my brother,” Keith says. “I will die for you.” The void his words leave in Shiro is devastating. 

And when they train their sword skills that evening, he’s too harsh, his concentration non-existent when Keith is beautiful as always and he knows he will never have this, will never have him.

But it’s Keith who is even more careless, Keith who missteps when Shiro swings hard. And by round three they are panting and sweating and Shiro pins him to the floor, his sword forced into the ground next to Keith’s head.

And his friend is beautiful like that, so raw and handsome and mesmerizing. With his eyes shimmering yellow and his fangs glistening in the sun, gasping for breath.

“Why can’t I have you? A whole kingdom means nothing when I can’t have you,” Shiro finally confesses, his words fueled by desperation.

Keith’s hand comes up to his cheek and his eyes are blown wide, any hint of yellow gone. 

“Shiro. Look at me,” he says, his words just as nervous as the fingers trembling against Shiro’s jaw.

“Keith,“ Shiro breathes.

“You have me. You’ll always have me.” And when Keith pulls him into a kiss, he feels like laying his kingdom to the feet of his best friend and lover.

*

They stumble into Shiro’s chamber that evening, scattering their clothes over the floor like Shiro scatters Keith’s neck with his kisses. 

Keith’s fingers against the scales on his arms feel intimate, send shivers down his spine. He stops breathing for a second when he realizes it’s Keith, it’s really Keith he shares the bed with. Keith, looking ethereal in the candlelight, his skin shimmering purple. 

There’s a tear on Keith’s cheek as Shiro whispers “I’ve always loved you” and presses their foreheads together.

*

They are woken by a knock on the door the next morning and Keith tries to flee out of the covers while Shiro attempts to hide his nakedness when the queen steps into their room.

“Mother, I can explain,” Shiro says, his words hurried and desperate.

His mother only chuckles. “Yeah, it’s about time.”

Both topple over at her words. “How did you know?” 

“I have eyes, my boys.” There’s a smile on her lips as she turns to give the two a bit of modesty.

“I expect you two in the throne room in ten minutes.”

*

Their faces are still burning red when they make it downstairs ten minutes later. The throne room is empty except for the queen, a package lying to her feet.

“This letter arrived this morning and it’s for you Keith,” the queen says, handing him the wrapped object.

“I’m sorry we’ve never told you,” she says, as Keith unwraps the purple knife. Purple as the scales on Keith’s legs that Shiro kissed the night before. Purple as the scales on Shiro’s arm.

“Your mother is a nymph, Keith. And she asks for your help in the fight against the sea witch who killed the king,” the queen explains, her words resonating in the empty throne room.

“My mother.”

When Keith’s eyes meet his, there’s determination in them. Shiro closes his hand around Keith’s fingers that tighten their grip on the knife.

“Shiro, I…” There are a thousand unspoken words and questions between them, but Shiro is sure of one thing. He will always fight alongside the man he loves.

“Let’s go and find your mother.’”

***


	16. Day 20 & 21: Penguin & Shark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 20 & 21: Penguin & Shark  
> Rated T, MerShiro, Pining Shiro.  
> Meet-Cute, Fluff, tiny mention of violence and wounds

**

To be fair, it's been Matt’s idea to spend their day watching penguins. It's promising to be a calm day under the sea and in the morning they decide between watching penguins or counting sea snails – so the choice comes easy for Shiro.

Matt loves to watch penguins dive into the sea and race them, while his sister Pidge proclaims it's in the name of science that she observes them building nests and counted the eggs. 

And Shiro? Shiro simply enjoys watching the cute little fellas waddling down the beaches.

Until today. Until their group is alerted by heave steps heading for the beach. Shiro has just enough time to grab Pidge, as a human appears behind the sand dune the second they manage to hide behind the nearest rock formation. 

And. Oh.

The human is fascinating. With the longest legs Shiro has ever seen on a human, and beautiful hair the color of the deepest sea. He's alone, as far as the three of them can see and as he's slowly approaching the penguins, Shiro spots a big bag hanging on one of his shoulders. Shiro has always admired the grace with which humans could move their two fins on land. But this human here is especially nice to look at. 

“Hey, Shiro, you’re still with us?” Matt’s elbow hits Shiro in the rip, pulling him from his thoughts. 

“What is he doing the penguin? You think he wants to catch one to eat?” From the corner of his eye, Shiro can see Pidge’s gills flare in attention. 

But the human seems to approach the penguins with the utmost care, apparently using his fingers to count the population. And when he opens his mouth to yell “Chirp, chirp where are you, boy?”, Shiro feels a shiver run down his fin. The human has a very /lovely/ voice. 

One of the penguins that has been hiding in the reeds suddenly jumps up and waddles to the human. There’s a prominent limp in his step, as far as Shiro can see.  
Once he's made it to the human, the penguin starts curiously hammering his beak against the knees as the man kneels down and rummaged in his bag.

The penguin’s beak opens the second the human pulls out what looks like a small fish, jumping up in excitement to reach the food. 

“Are you feeling better, buddy?” the human asks.

And all Shiro’s heart can think is 'Oh no.'

*

The second time Shiro sees the human is pure coincidence. 

It really is, he tells himself, as he cradles Chirp in his arms. He's found the penguin near the beach, in open water, completely lost and close to drowning. And who was he to let a helpless penguin drown? 

Apparently, the penguin is injured – which would explain the limp he had seen before. A broken foot would make it hard for him to swim and catch fishes. 

Shiro brings the penguin to the shore and places the animal on a bed of seaweed. As far as he can see, the penguin is alive and breathing, though it does not move a lot. Shiro can’t take a closer look, because the sound of fast steps approaching makes him jump back into the sea and hide behind a rock.

And indeed, the human appears on the beach, his hair in disarray and his features concerned, as he bends down next to Chirp.

“Hey buddy, don't tell me you tried to swim again?” Shiro can hear the man say before he rummages in his back and pulls out some white ribbons.

“How did you make it to the beach? Did you have some help?” 

Shiro has just enough time to dive back underwater when the human looks into his direction. 

His heart hammers in his chest. 

The last thing Shiro's seen was a pair of beautiful purple eyes widening in surprise.

*

The third time Shiro swims up to the penguin beach, he really has no excuse. 

It’s beautiful weather up on land and it’s the perfect day to see how Chirp is doing.  
(And maybe hope he will spot the gorgeous human, but he really cares for the penguin, he tells himself.)

Of course, the human is there. 

And it makes Shiro’s heart flutter. 

It’s late already and the beach is tinted in the soft orange hues of the sinking sun, and the light reflects just right on the stranger’s hair. Shiro can’t help but swoon from where he’s bend over a rock to take a closer look. The human is checking a group of young penguins for wounds and scars and he’s so kind and tender, talking to them. 

“You're looking lovely today, Kolivan,” He says to one penguin.  
“Your wing is finally getting better, Antok!” he says to another.  
“Sorry, can’t feed you today, Regris, you’re already too chubby. I know you love Sardines, but if you’re too heavy, you can’t catch any fish!” He says to a third penguin that runs for the small fishes in his hand. 

And Shiro could spend hours watching the human take care of the penguin with his graceful movements and his beautiful features.

He might swoon a bit too much – because he’s so lost in his thoughts that he slips off the rock – and splashes into the water.

He’s fast enough to hide his fin underwater, but his head is still above the surface when the man faces him. 

“Hey! Whoever you are, stay away from the penguins!” the man yells. 

And Shiro dives.

*

Actually, he really, definitely does /not/ plan the fourth time to happen. It’s not his fault he’s surprised by a shark on his way to the penguin beach that day.

He makes it, but there are scratches on his fin where the shark’s teeth had scuffed him. And a hefty headbutt had pressed all the air from Shiro's gills.

So when he makes it to the shore, Shiro is panting and exhausted, flopping down on the sand. Sleep would be amazing just now, the thinks.

But when he opens his eyes again, he looks right into a pair of familiar purple eyes.

Their foreheads knock together when Shiro jumps up in surprise.

“Hey, are you okay?” The human asks as he rubs his forehead.

“I’m fine. Takes more than a shark to kill me,” Shiro snarls. Still, his whole body burns. 

“Your fin definitely doesn't look that way.” Shiro follows his gaze and sees the big scratches, deep red against the black of his fin. 

The man’s fingers grace over his chest where a big purple bruise is forming.

“It’s okay, I’ll get by,” Shiro whispers, but the human has already started searching his bags. He pulls out what looks like white ribbons, and starts wrapping Shiro’s fin. His delicate fingers at work are mesmerizing to watch.

“You’re too kind,” Shiro whispers.

The man chuckles. “My friends would beg to differ, everybody tells me I’m too grumpy and a loner. Guess that’s why I rather stick to talking to penguins.”

“You find a merman on the shore and your first reaction is to tend to his wounds. And I..” There’s a blush forming on Shiro’s nose, he can feel the heat in his face. “I heard you talking to the penguins. You’re always very kind to them.” 

“Guess I have a weakness for the sea and its inhabitants.” The man smiles.

Shiro stumbles over his words. Is that man /flirting/ with him? 

“I’m Shiro,” he says, eventually, as the man finishes patching him up.

“Nice to meet you, Shiro. I’m Keith.”

***


	17. Day 22 & 23: Pirates & Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 22 & 23: Pirates and Storm  
> The Blades of Marmora are definitely not pirates. MerShiro, mentions of blood and wounds.  
> The not-so-piratey-pirates are inspired by [Galavant's Lords to the Sea.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwJPDtR2IAo)

***

The members of the Blade of Marmora don’t like to be called pirates in general.

Pirates would include mindless scavenging and slaying. And they hardly ever do that. They prefer to think of themselves as friendly bandits. Or benevolent sailors. 

Sustainable gardeners, too, since they’ve recently managed to grow some berries on their ship. The loot of their most recent raid had looked strange at first until the bushes started to bloom and Regris discovered his green thumb. 

Back when he was young, Keith had heard of the BoM, in stories about brute pirates and gruesome raids, told by sailors who had been far too drunk to notice him stealing their money.  
Keith had hated Port Garris, the stinking harbor city he found himself in, but as an orphan in the midst of the deepest winter, highly frequented harbors had been the only place that provided him with enough sailors to rob so he could pay for a warm meal and a warm bed. 

Perfecting his pickpocketing skills had proven as life–saving – up until the moment the group of pirates everyone called the Blades appeared in the tavern “Dancing Lion“, their purple cloaks swaying behind them and Keith, foolish and hungry Keith, tried to steal their money. The second he spotted the familiar knife on one of their belts was enough to make Keith falter – and get caught. 

But instead of getting his fingers or head chopped off by one of the pirates, the unexpected happened: He found a mother, a group of friends and a bed to call his own on a ship sailing the seven seas to avenge injustice. 

And so, when he enters the Dancing Lion for the first time in years, it’s as a member of a group of friendly bandits, on a quest with his mother to steal from the rich and give to the poor.  
Years on the sea (and Antok's recently discovered love for baking blueberry bread) had hardened his features and filled out his shoulders. He’s lucky the innkeeper doesn’t recognize him as the scrawny kid he used to be, stealing money and bread from their pantry when he asks for a strong drink and news about recent troubles. 

His eyes fall on the wanted posters behind the innkeeper and a dark laugh rolls over Keith’s lips. 

“Looks like someone had a drink too much if they’re hunting for a mermaid,” he says against the rim of his glass. It earns him a raised eyebrow from the innkeeper who twirls his mustache. 

“Why of course, I’ve seen it with my own two eyes, young pirate,” the man explains. Keith tries to remember his name, but it does not come to him. “There’s a merman out there and the bounty hunters are crazy about him. Some high lord put a pretty high sum on anyone who will get him, dead or alive.” 

“Him?” Keith looks up from his glass. The innkeeper has his full attention now.

“Ah yeah, definitely a male. I’ve seen him swim around the harbor a few times early in the morning. A lovely young fella.” The innkeeper bends forward, a sparkle in his eyes as he whispers. “Between us, I really hope Lord Zendak does not get him.” 

A voice from the other side of the counter makes the innkeeper draw back immediately. “Two warm ales, I’ll be right with you,” he shouts, busying himself drawing beers. 

In his time with the Blades, Keith has saved many people in need. But saving a merman from an evil lord… how hard could that be?

**

The sea is restless when the Blades set sail. The sky is heavy with the smell of an approaching storm and there’s a certain unease in Keith’s chest when the pirates leave Port Garris, heading for the spot the merman has last been sighted. 

Kolivan did not need a lot of convincing. The name Zendak was enough to make him jump up and let his men prepare for the sudden departure. A merman needed their help, a job that basically screamed for the friendly bandits. 

Still, they don’t expect the storm to hit them without mercy.

Every inch of Keith is drenched and cold once the storm calms. Two of their best sails are torn and three barrels of fresh water have fallen overboard. Yet the only real casualty they have to mourn is one of their blueberry bushes.

Keith is relieved to see everyone’s made it safely, when Antok yells “Man overboard!” and they spot a man drifting on a plank in the sea. 

At least it’s half a man. There’s a beautiful black fin where his legs are supposed to be - and his right arm is missing. 

Keith cannot wait for the others to ready a boat. He jumps into the water, and a few strong strokes bring him to the merman who’s unconscious but breathing. 

There’s a bleeding scar on his nose and a white shock of hair adorns his black strands. 

He’s unlike everyone Keith has ever seen and he can’t take his eyes off of him as the others help the merman on board, heaving him into Kolivan’s bathtub. 

Keith helps his mother apply salves to stop the bleeding and doesn’t leave the merman’s side at night. 

Nothing happens until the sun rises a second time. 

Keith first thinks he’s hallucinating when he feels a soft press of fingers against his hand. But the merman blinks and groans, and actually moves. 

“Where am I? Who are you?” Keith can see the panic run in the merman’s eyes as he sits up, holding his side in pain when he moves too quickly.

Keith hurries forward to help him sit up.

“You’re safe,” he says, his voice hoarse from two sleepless days. “You’re safe,” he says again, with more emphasis. 

“We saved you from Lord Zendak and the storm.”

“You saved me?“ The man’s features soften.

And Keith smiles. 

***


	18. Day 24: Tank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 24: Tank  
> Rated M, Canon Divergent: Admiral Shirogane and MerKeith, Rumor has it...

***

Everyone knows the Atlas never sleeps. The ship has its own mind, one that only Admiral Shirogane can hear. And while the crew went starts their sleep circle, the Atlas would watch over them, her constant presence lulling everyone to sleep. 

But next to the constant humming of her machines, there’s something else filling the space ship with life. 

The crew loved to gossip about it. Nobody has ever seen exactly what everyone’s talking about, but rumors got louder as soon as the Atlas started to flood unused hallways with water and people caught a red shadow in the corner of the eyes.

Little does the crew of the Atlas know that there’s some/one/ swimming through the vents and flooded hallways, exploring the ship at night when everyone’s asleep.

Little does the crew know that Admiral Shirogane shares his room with a merman, one that lives in a tank which takes up about half of his room.

Little do they know that he would spend hours talking to the merman, sitting on the edge of the pool and letting his feet dangle in the water while his hand plays with the long strands of black hair.

Little do they know he spends hours listening to the beautiful mer with the bright red fin telling him about the gossip between crew members he had overheard that day. Or about the stars and meteor showers he’s watched from the one viewport he can reach from his tank. The Admiral tells him about the planets they visited, about sunsets on earth, about galaxies so far away they would never reach them. 

Little do they know how the merman would sometimes pull the Admiral down with him, wrapping his arms around Shiro’s neck and press his fangs into his lips when they meet in a heated kiss.

Little do they know how the two would spend hours taking each other apart and back together, would drift towards each other, sliding their hands and bodies together in their own rhythm, until both are panting for air and the water swashes out of the tank in waves. 

Little do they know that the bruises on the Admiral’s neck the next morning do not come from a one night stand he’s picked up on a foreign planet. And the merman would laugh about the rumors between crew members that day, farfetched guesses which officer the Admiralis supposed to be dating this time. He’s taking a mental note to leave even more bruises the next time, staking his claim.

Ah, well…

Little do they know.

And frankly, Admiral Shirogane is happy to keep it that way.

***


	19. Day 25: Seashell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay, Day 25: Seashell  
> Rated G, Childhood Friends to Lovers, MerSheith, Fluff.

***

The cave next door is empty.

It’s a beautiful cave, with a garden full of corals and starfish and seaweed.

Keith loves to swim and play in it when his mother isn’t paying attention. It’s just too alluring to hunt for treasures. Until one day he finds a boy in the abandoned coral garden while he’s looking for seashells.

The merboy’s got a black fin and equally black hair, and he’s definitely older than Keith. And he’s sitting on the coral bank, Keith’s favourite spot in the garden.

“Hey, who are you?” The merboy says, a smile on his lips.

It’s too bright, too friendly. Nothing Keith is used to.  
  
“Get out here, that’s my secret place.” Keith nearly growls.  
  
“But it’s our garden now. We moved in today,” the boy says and Keith’s eyes widen in shock.   
  
He doesn't say another word but swims home as fast as he can.

His mother looks at him with worry in her eyes when Keith doesn’t dare to swim to the garden next door again.   
Instead, he spends more time in his room than usual. At least he has a nice view, overlooking the beautiful garden from up here.

He also has a nice view of the cave next door that’s now starting to fill with life. And when he wakes up one morning, looking at the beautiful coral garden, he can hear a familiar voice yell “Hey.”

It’s near lightspeed that he ducks his head. Apparently his window is facing the merboys room. ‘Oh no,’ he thinks.

The merboy’s smile is as bright as daylight shimmering through the surface when he knocks on their door a day later.

He has a seashell in his hands.

It’s a beautiful one, bigger than Keith’s hand and with a delicate curl. It even shimmers when he turns it, the colors changing with every flick of his hand.

“I’m Shiro and I didn’t want to scare you. Let’s be friends.”

*

Turns out Shiro owns a similar seashell.   
  
It’s late at night when he hears Shiro’s voice through the shell and he has to press his ear very close to it to understand every word, but Keith feels giddy when they share secret stories underneath their covers over shell mail.

Over the next years, ‘Shell Mail’ becomes their thing.  
And they would talk every evening.

Sometimes they would both sit on their windowsills to see the other.  
  
Sometimes, Keith would come back home after a particularly bad day and Shiro would point to the shell, begging him to answer.  
  
Sometimes he would catch Shiro doing some ridiculous workout in his room and would cheer for him over their shells.  
  
And sometimes they would just listen to each other’s breath to fall asleep.

It’s not like they don’t interact outside of Shell Mail.   
  
Quite the opposite, they meet every day and explore the reef and the village, making friends with dolphins and blobfish.   
  
It’s just something entirely different to explore a secret gorge and to whisper secrets and promises into the shell and hear Shiro’s voice so low and private, it makes Keith’s heart flutter.

*

One day, the shell goes silent.

It’s a stupid coincidence that makes Keith break the shell, really.

But one second the shell is on his shelf and the other second it’s on the floor, in two pieces, and when he tries whispering Shiro’s name into it, there’s no reply.

“I broke your seashell.” Keith appears at the window later, fighting back the tears. And when Shiro notices his disarray, it only takes him a few strokes to swim up to him, entering Keith’s room through his open window.

“It’s okay, Keith, it’s okay. We can get you a new one.” Shiro’s words are warm, comforting. Keith can feel his pulse calm down.

“I thought I had lost this. Lost you. I just… how am I going to fall asleep without your voice?”

“Listen, Keith, I will never stop talking to you.” There’s a hand on Keith’s shoulder and it’s warm and firm.

“And you know what?” Shiro asks and Keith looks up at him.

“I don’t need a seashell to tell you how much I love you.”

And Shiro kisses him.

*

When Shiro gets him a ring a couple of years later, it’s made from the broken seashell.

“Listen to your heart.” The engraving says.

***


	20. Day 26: Monsters & Mana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheithmermay Day 26: Monsters & Mana Week  
> Rated T, Post-Canon (no S8), Paladins play Monsters and Mana and Keith has an interesting character choice, Getting-Together  
> For those of you who have no idea about DnD: if you roll a 1, it's really bad, if you roll a 20, it's really good!

***

“.. and the Cyborg lifts her gun and points it directly at Kiro. Seems like I need a Death Saving Throw from you, Shiro. Oh, it’s a natural one. I’m sorry, Shiro, say goodbye to Kiro.”

Tuesday night means Monsters & Mana Night. In the afterglow of the war, their sessions are what brings a certain regularity into their lives. And Keith is happy about the way they come together. He loves watching Shiro playing his paladin, loves mocking Lance for his poor luck when it comes to Stealth checks for his ninja assassin, he loves Allura hitting one critical hit after another with her lucky streak for natural twenties. What Keith does not love is Coran having way too much fun coming up with ways to kill off Shiro’s characters.

He simply can’t watch and let Shiro’s character die this time. Shiro was so happy when he told Keith about Kiro's backstory.

“Before the cyborg can fire her gun, Akira jumps in her direction and kicks the gun from her hand.” Keith nearly growls the words.

Coran raises an eyebrow. “Roll on Acrobatics,” he says.

The whole table erupts into a burst of “Oooooh”s when Keith rolls a natural twenty.

“Okay, young Paladins! This wraps up our cyberpunk campaign. Lance has found the treasure chest, Pidge has found a whole compendium of books and Keith has, once again, saved Shiro’s character. Thank you for playing.”

“But who’s the evil mastermind?” Pidge groans. “Don’t tell me it’s over. You have to tell us, Coran, please!”

“You had your chance, Pidge, but a 4 on Investigation is hardly enough to learn everything about the plots and schemes of Mas Matu!” Coran twirls his mustache as he explains and the soft sound of Pidge’s head making contact with the tabletop follows.

“I hope all of you are already working on your characters for next week! Remember, we’re setting sail in a pirate adventure. So make sure to bring some water protection spells!”

*

“My character should be a merman,” Keith explains two days later when he sits down with Shiro to work on their character sheets.  
  
It’s only natural to meet in Shiro’s quarters, there’s more space on his kitchen table than in Keith’s whole room. (Still, this doesn't explain why they find themselves sitting on the sofa instead, their legs or toes touching every time Keith moves. He won’t complain.)

“A merman?” Shiro looks up from where he’s buried in the chapter about Royal Marine Generals, and Keith has to hold back a chuckle at the fact that Shiro has again chosen the closest class to a Paladin he could find.

“Well, at least half a merman. Having a fin would be really impractical should we ever go on land,” he explains.

“But why?”

“Why not? The character options Coran gave us are boring. I’m pretty sure Lance wants to be a pirate and Hunk will stick to his cleric.” Keith shrugs. “Just imagine a Ranger merman! He’s a Beast Master, but with sea creatures! I definitely want a shark companion, just to threaten Lance with it.”

“Imagine his face,” Shiro laughs and it’s beautiful. Keith can feel the goosebumps on his skin.

“Plus, if you fall from our ship, I can jump after you to save you,” Keith explains, pointing a finger into the air to underline his point.

“Oh,” Shiro says.

And Keith tries not to get his hopes up when he sees a faint blush on Shiro’s cheeks.

*

They find a homebrew blueprint for merfolk characters and start to build Aquira.

His character might not have a fin, but there are webbed fingers and shiny scales all over his body, his skin a lovely shade of green.

Next to Darkvision, Keith’s character also is Amphibious, a skill that allows him to breathe on land and in water without. Advantages on underwater fights as well as in Acrobatics, Athletics and Stealth might come in handy for him, in case he ever needs to rid a pirate of a sword they point at Shiro’s character again.

“Look, there’s also a siren option, where you get advantage in Persuasion and Performance. And you can cast Enthrall once a day,” Shiro shows him the notes on the ‘siren-background’.

“Shiro, I want to save you, not lure you in,” he explains with a dry laugh when he reads over the words.

The description sparks as much joy as the hoard of ogres that Hunk had managed to attract with a failed Stealth check during one of their last sessions. He still remembers their characters being trampled down, close to zero HP.

“I’m sure Searo wouldn’t mind being lured in by the beautiful voice of a handsome siren.” Shiro’s smile is tugging at his chest and Keith feels his pulse quicken.

Still, Keith frowns when he hears the name. “Searo?”

“Yeah, it fits so well, don’t you think?” Shiro does not expect the pillow landing in his face after his words are out.

*

By now they know Coran’s campaigns too well: of course, the climax is an epic battle on a pirate ship. And of course, it‘s in the middle of a heavy storm. And, of course, the pirate king is all set to kill Searo.

Still, Shiro seems to have luck with the dice this time, landing big blows on the pirate king while Coran’s dice are not in his favor that night.

“Oh no, you took the pirate king by surprise and stole 20 gold from him, Pike!” Coran’s frustration is clear in his words as he sees the shiny 3 on his die once it’s Lance’s next turn.

When the pirate king is already on one knee, Shiro decides to test his luck.

“Okay, I’ll move towards the king and cast ‘Divine Smite’ for extra damage on my melee attack,” he says.

And Keith groans when he rolls a natural 1.

“Oh no, what a bummer, Searo! As you lunge for the pirate king, there’s a strong gust of wind, that rolls an empty barrel right in front of your feet. You stumble over it. Aaand I need an Acrobatics check from you.”

The second Shiro rolls another 1, Keith dreads Coran’s next words.

“Too bad. You stumble over the bucket – and you stagger backward, towards the railing. Unfortunately, the wood is wet and slippery and - OH NO – man overboard, Searo has fallen into the stormy sea. I’m sorry Shi–.”

“I’ll save him!” Keith yells before Coran can even finish his sentence. His hands fly to the tabletop as he jumps up, nearly bellowing at Coran. “I’ll jump after him and drag him back to the surface.”

“Well, you catch Searo and drag him back to the surface, but the storm is too strong and you two drift away from the ship! You’ll be floating for the rest of the fight. The rest of your group will have to kill the pirates with two men short. Well done.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith sees Lance’s pissed expression, but he doesn’t care, not when Shiro looks at him like that, an apologetic smile on his lips. “I’m sorry I threw us both overboard,” he says.

Keith just shakes his head. “I told you being amphibious would pay off.”

They watch the rest of their group finish the pirate king off, diving the loot between each other before Coran turns back to the two of them.

“And now to you. There’s an island close to the ship where both of you run ashore. While Aquira’s Amphibious make him able to breathe underwater, Searo has swallowed quite a lot of water.”

Keith imagines Shiro lying in the sand beneath him motionless. The thought is alone to break his heart. “Can I try reanimation?” he tries.

“Do a medicine check!” Coran has his arms crossed in front of his chest and there’s a frown on his forehead.

When Keith’s die shows a 13, he gulps, hoping for Coran’s goodwill.

“Hm, not quite there. How about you do another one, see if mouth-to-mouth respiration would work?”

Keith’s cheeks are burning while he prays for the die to bring him luck.

He stars at the natural twenty with wide-blown eyes.

“Well done, young Paladin, You managed to bring Searo back to life!”

Shiro’s eyes fall on Keith, warm and soft, as he whispers “Keith, you saved me.”

“We saved each other.” The words come out as a reflex. If possible, Shiro’s smile gets even softer. Keith never wants to see anything else.

“And that’s not all!” Coran interrupts their bliss. “Searo wakes up with your lips on his, and, alas, guess our hero pulls the young merman into a passionate kiss.”

As Keith’s eyes widen in shock, Shiro doesn’t seem surprised. In fact, he bends forward, his nose hovering dangerously close to Keith’s.

“Well, guess my savior deserves a kiss,” he says, his finger grazing Keith’s cheek.

And Keith can hardly breathe when Shiro’s lips land on his.

“Get a room,” they hear Lance yell, while Hunk hastily covers Pidge’s eyes with his hands.

“Stop it, Hunk. I want to watch this. Look at them. It’s like a trainwreck,” she says.

“Don’t you think we should give them some privacy?” Hunk says, but Lance and Pidge are sending him death glares.

“And miss this amazing front row seats to the mating habits of two common dorks on full display? Never!” Pidge explains.

Allura's only reaction is a surprised sound, her mouth shaped in an ‘o’.

But all of this is not important, not when Shiro’s lips against his feel like heaven.

“How about we continue this outside?” Shiro whispers into his ear when he breaks their kiss.

And Keith has never been so fast to nod, gathering his belongings in one swift motion to follow Shiro.

“Don’t forget to make a check on Performance! Hope Shiro rolls a Nat1!” Lance shouts and Keith gives him a finger when he stumbles out of the door, Shiro’s lips already on his again.

***


	21. Day 27: Bubbles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #sheithmermay Day 27: Bubbles  
> Rated G, NymphKeith, First Meeting

***

There’s a hidden pond in the forest behind his house.

Shiro has found it on one of his walks, a weak attempt to get out and catch some fresh air. 

Not exactly because he wants to, but rather because his friends started worrying. It’s been three months since the battle that took his arm and gave him a scar on his face instead and finding a reason to leave his quarters is hard these days. 

But he finds this new house, with red bricks, and wooden fences, in need of a lot of love and renovations. It’s perfect.

He spends days dedusting and throwing out old planks and furniture, painting rooms, and buying flowers. In the evenings, he goes for a walk in the wood, because the sun kisses the treetops just right. 

The pond is beautiful, hidden behind hydrangea bushes and willows, their branches flowing into the water decorating the water with petals and leaves. The water is white, milky even, reminding Shiro of royal baths of the stories of old Egyptian kings and queens. The sunset casts warm hues on the pond and, wow, Shiro thinks, this is really some kind of tiny paradise. 

Mesmerized by the view, he can’t help but stick a finger into the pond – and he notices it’s lukewarm, not ice-cold as he would have imagined. In the corner of his eye, he catches a small ripple on the surface, but it’s gone as fast as it’d appeared. Shiro smiles. If he was a fish, he would be happy to live in this beautiful pond.

As days go by, Shiro finds himself drifting back to the pond.  
He spends hours sitting by the bank, watching the petals float over the surface, his favourite book in his hand. On the hottest days of summer, he even dares to let his feet sink into the pond. He can’t see the ground through the milky liquid, but his feet touch a stony ground faster than he thought, only playing around his ankles at first. 

Now and then, he sees bubbles ripple on the surface, getting bigger with every step Shiro wades further into the pond – a few steps in and the water reaches to his knees. That’s when Shiro decides to call it a day. When he looks back to take in the mesmerizing picture of the pond one last time before he heads home, he’s sure he can see a purple shadow on the surface. But it’s gone when he blinks and maybe he’s still hallucinating from all the pills he has to take. 

As summer is bleeding into autumn, he’s faced with what the villagers call a golden summer, the last couple of hot days before the air turns breezy and the leaves turn crisp. 

The hydrangea petals are gone and in their stead, there are golden leaves on the surface as Shiro decides to use his last chance of the year to take a bath in this beautiful pond. 

So he takes off his clothes and folds them neatly on the bank before he wades into the water. As he sits down, his body is encompassed by the warmth of the water, the smell of herbs and leaves, and the faint sound of water running in the distance. 

It’s everything he needed. 

Here in this peaceful place on earth, he can relax and shut out all the horrors the real world holds for him. Here in this calming pond, it doesn’t matter that he’s lost his arm, or that he has a scar on his face. His white hair even has the same color as the milky water and it’s the first time Shiro can actually smile about his new appearance.

His head falls into his neck and he watches the leaves balancing in the wind, getting lost in his thoughts… as he hears the familiar sound of bubbles rippling on the surface. 

The bubbles are bigger than ever – before they stop completely.

And in their place, something purple raises from the water.  
Or rather: Some/one/ purple.

The nymph has lilac skin and sharp teeth, long strands of purple hair flowing around eyes glowing yellow as they fixate on Shiro. There are sharp claws on the nymph's fingers where they wrap around Shiro’s leg. 

“Well, who have we here?” a beautiful voice smirks. 

And Shiro’s heart beats loudly in his ears. The creature is fascinating.

“You found my pond.” The nymph says, clawed fingers grazing Shiro’s chin. 

“Guess you have to grant me one wish.” There’s a dark smirk on the nymph’s face and oh, Shiro thinks, he might have never seen someone more beautiful. 

“A wish?… I have nothing I could give you.”

“Believe me, I can think of something,” the nymph says.

And as Shiro is dragged into a deep kiss and sharp teeth dig into his bottom lip, he’s really not sure, if it’s not his wish that is granted.

***


	22. Day 28: Hunter (1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 28: Hunter (1/2)  
> Rated T, Mermaid Hunter Shiro falls for the merman he's supposed to hunt down, MerKeith, fantasy setting

***

The earth is wet and muddy underneath his boots as the rain drizzles against his cheeks lightly. 

He has to take careful steps, the sound of his feet in the sludge could give him away to easily. Any plant, any patch of grass could make him slide and stumble. 

He can’t be heard. Not here, not now.  
He has blown his last two attempts, a third fail won’t be tolerated. 

Of course, it’s raining. It’s always raining on these days. Shiro draws his hood deep into his face and pulls his scarf closer to his nose. 

He’s used to getting only the worst jobs from Zendak. The desert, the tundra, now the swamp… “You’re one of our best men,” they said. 

Still, Shiro feels like he only gets the missions nobody else wants. He puts wading through the swamp in the Galarian hinterland on his “definitely not again” list. 

This place is definitely not his favourite spot to hunt for mermaids. 

Or rather... for one specific merman.

Shiro’s not a fool, he knows why the Lord is sending out hunters to catch mermaids. The gallery in his mansion is filled with the most beautiful fins on full display, shining in all colors of the rainbow. 

Still, the job pays well, well enough to pay off his debt to Lord Zendak. He had been so gracious as to pay for his whole prosthetic arm and Shiro accepted his offer to work for him willingly.

So when he gets the order to hunt down one whole family of merfolk, Shiro sighs and tries to ignore the nagging thought in his head. It’s better just to hand the creatures over to Zendak’s servants and turn his back, the forced ignorance lets him sleep at night. 

And damn, he’s good at his job. 

Shiro knows where merfolk likes to stay, how they like to hide, and what tricks they like to play on humans. Earplugs and a net made of Luxite are his constant companions and he’s trapped more than twenty mers in the last years, all of them personal favorites of Lord Zendak. Shiro has seen all colors of skin and fins, has seen nymphs with horns and long pointy ears as well as antlers, sharp fangs, and leaves all over their bodies. 

This family though… this family proves to be quite a challenge.

He’s tried to track down the father at first, but his information on his whereabouts was vague.  
“Somewhere in the desert” was all he got and made him search every pond and every puddle. In the end, he came back with burnt skin and a terrible thirst.  
Still, the merman was nowhere to be found. 

The mother has proved another level of difficulty. When he found her in the tundra, hidden between ice and stones, Krolia spitted her name into his face and put a dagger to his chin, not going down without a fight. She was swift and slick, escaping from Shiro’s grip more than once. It was only thanks to a well-placed elbow against her head that she fell unconscious and Shiro was able to wrap her in his net. 

This also was the day Shiro learned mermaid claws can cut through Luxite – the net empty when he woke up the next morning. 

But third time’s the charm, he tells himself, as he hunts down the whereabouts of the last one, the youngling. Lord Zendak nearly sang anthems about the merman, about his beauty and his voice, the long hair the color of the night sky and skin the color of lavender in full bloom. His description made Shiro curious. 

And Shiro is close, he knows it. He’s tracked down all the evidence, has circled every pond in this swampy area. 

And most of all, he can hear the words of the young siren, meant to lure men into the swamp and drown in mudwater.  
Being immune to the lull is one of the only things Shiro has to thank Zendak for. 

So Shiro slows his steps and calms his breath as he wades forward, his fingers carefully prying between two branches to give way to a small clearing with a tiny pond. And a merman sitting in the water.

He’s facing the opposite direction, so Shiro is safe – safe until one of the branches snap in his hand and the merman perks up his ears. 

As he turns around, Shiro hears his pulse rush in his ears. 

In front of him sits the most beautiful merman he’s ever seen. 

Lavender skin and long fuzzy ears, his fin a gorgeous dark purple. Zendak’s stories don’t do him justice. His hair shimmers in shades of black, blue, and purple where it curls around his shoulders and flows down to his fin. His eyes are wide and dark, like the sea at night, full of mysteries and wonders.

And Shiro lets his net fall to the ground. 

**


	23. Day 29: Hunter (2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 29: Hunter (2/2)  
> Rated T, Mermaid Hunter Shiro falls for the merman he's supposed to hunt down, MerKeith, fantasy setting

***

“So what you’re trying to tell me is... we should tell Zendak you captured me and present me to the one person who wants to kill me?” Keith crosses his arms in front of his chest. The idea sounds straight out ridiculous to him. There’s no way he can trust a human he has just met with his life. Not when he knows too well this human has hunted down countless brothers and sisters and left them to die. 

“Yes,” the human has the audacity to simply nod. 

If it wasn’t for his pretty face, Keith would love to let his claws draw another scar in the human’s face. 

“What part of ‘he’s killed dozens of merfolk before’ did you not get?” Keith raises an eyebrow. How could the man be so certain?

“I know it sounds crazy, but I really want to help you. Tell me what I can do to make you trust me.” Pathetic humans, Keith thinks. Does he not know merfolk can read heartbeats like a sonar, detecting lies as they are spoken? 

Still, Keith sighs. Though Shiro’s plan sounds like garbage to him, he has to admit he has no better one. 

If they wanted to bring Keith to the sea, the only way leads through Zarkon’s defense posts. There’s simply no way Shiro would be able to smuggle a whole merman through one of the gates. Due to his heritage, Keith might be a tiny mer in comparison, but even the most stupid Galra would notice the elephant in the room. 

“Or rather ‘ele-fin’, Shiro said, dryly, which earned him another death glare from Keith. Oh please, why’s he punished with one that tries dry jokes?

“Please, Keith. Zendak loves nothing more than to bathe in his glory! He will be most careless when he thinks he actually got you!” It makes sense. And still, something underneath his skin tingles, makes him uncomfortable with the idea. 

Yet, there is no other way. He knows his mother and father have made it to the ocean by now – and the only way to get to them is through the fiend's hands.

So Keith gives in. “And how do you plan on getting me out there before he turns me into Sushi?”

The grin on Shiro’s lip bods ill. “Oh, I’ve got a plan.” 

*

Walking to the western gate takes three days, the human, Shiro, explains. 

“Good thing we can simply walk.” Keith rolls his eyes as Shiro lays out a map in front of them.   
“There’s a creek we can follow that empties into the westbound river. It might take a week, but this should provide us with enough cover to make it to the gate without getting noticed.”

And so they end up on their way to the western gate, Shiro walking on the shore while Keith swims in the river next to him. 

They make a good team, Keith has to admit, once he starts trusting Shiro.

Keith learns a lot about the human. 

He learns that his hair used to be black before the incident that cost him his arm. Learns that he can cook very tasty soups and knows which berries to eat. Unfortunately, Shiro hates eating fish, so Keith has to fish for himself. Shiro’s chest is also quite broad. And muscular. And his whole body is strong enough to carry Keith for twenty minutes before he has to put him down. The way Shiro’s chest feels against his also feels very nice, Keith has to admit. Shiro also tells the most beautiful stories about the stars in the sky, singing serenades about how he wishes to go to the moon one day.

Shiro blushes a lot, especially when Keith asks him about the girls in town and previous lovers. And when he stutters how he rather chases boys. It’s endearing. 

He shows Shiro a lot in return. Tells him about life in the ocean, how he's ended up in the swamp, tells him about different herbs and plants to cure wounds and an aching stomachs, shows him how to braid Keith’s hair and do tiny magic trick his mother had shown him. On their first evening together he tells the sappy story of his parents’ first meeting and blushes furiously when Shiro smiles at him all warm and comfortable. “Sounds like a perfect story, I wish I would find my soulmate like this.”

On the third day, Shiro leaves him for a couple of hours to walk into a nearby town. He returns with fresh fruits and a bottle of mead and when they share it over the campfire that night, Keith feels amazingly warm and fuzzy, soft even, when Shiro bends over and shows him what it feels like to have someone else’s lips pressed to his. 

It leaves his skin tingling with want, and so he chases after Shiro once they part. 

Shiro is eager to show him again. 

And again.

*

They continue their way to the western gate for four more days, walking during the day, and cuddling up at the shore at night, sharing kisses in the firelight. 

Keith has never felt this happy.

On the morning of the eighth day, they finally spot the western gate in the distance, and Shiro sits down on the riverbank to lace Keith’s fingers with his.

“You ready, my love?” Shiro asks, and Keith lifts Shiro’s hand to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss against his thumb.

“With you, I’m always ready.” 

****


	24. Day 30 & 31: Pearls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is done!!  
> A big thank you to everyone who reads my mermay pieces. It does not matter if you only read one piece, several stories or all, devoured them throughout may or read them all in one go.  
> May 2020 has been a wild ride for everyone and I'm proud I managed to stick to writing all these lovely pieces.  
> Please feel free to let me know your favourite, I'm really curious! <3
> 
> *
> 
> Mermay Day 30 & 31: Pearls  
> Rated G, Canonverse, Established Relationship (no S8), Fluff and (very) Happy Ending,

***

When Keith comes home from his latest mission, he has pearls around his neck and places a bag full of colorful seashells on Shiro’s desk.

Keith has a habit of not returning during regular working hours. Shiro's used to it by now. 

Sometimes it’s early in the morning, sometimes it’s deep in the night. And sometimes it’s so deep into the night Shiro can see the sun rise in the distance when he’s trying hard not to fall asleep watching the runway for Keith’s ship. 

Today is not different. It’s way past ten and even Veronica has called it a day two hours ago. 

Keith sent him his ETA hours ago, giving Shiro the perfect excuse to stay in his office and go through some peace negotiation papers he's been procrastinating to fill out for two days. 

The confirmation of Keith’s ship in the hangar arrives exactly when Shiro has only three pages left to read. Keith knows too well where to find him at this time of the day. Keith is the only one who makes sure Shiro leaves his office on time.

The knock to his door comes just in time for Shiro to make it to the last page of the papers, and Keith’s face in his door frame puts a smile on his face.

“Good to have you back,” Shiro says. Keith’s legs, going on for miles and beautiful in the tight leggings of his Blade’s uniform, need only a few steps before he stops in front of Shiro’s desk. His hair is disheveled and there are dark circles underneath his eyes. 

He’s still the most beautiful man Shiro has ever seen. 

“Good to be back,” Keith says. 

God, Shiro has missed his voice. Weeks of bad reception and distorted communication systems did not do justice to the voice of his boyfriend, filling him with a warmth Shiro’s missed for too long.

Shiro’s eyes flicker to the bag of shells on his table before he looks back up to meet Keith’s eyes. A breath escapes his lips. One he’s been holding too long, since the moment Keith had left his orbit.

He turns a bit and opens his arm. Keith accepts the invitation, sliding into the space between Shiro’s legs like he belongs there. Shiro feels Keith press a kiss to the crown of his hair and he buries his face deep into his boyfriend’s chest, inhaling the familiar scent. 

“Missed you,” Keith mumbles against his hair. 

“Missed you, too,” Shiro answers into his chest. 

He stays like this, just breathing in the smell that is so inherently Keith. 

It’s earthing, finally being able to hold his love in his arms again. The intergalactic war is over, and still... every time he has to see Keith leave for a BoM mission, he sends a piece of his heart with him on his journey, hoping for his return.

“Had a safe trip?” Shiro asks as he feels Keith’s fingers run down his shoulder blades, leaving slow and steady circles. He knows Keith must be just as happy to be back home, the stern pacing of his steps and the mess of his hair have told Shiro enough. 

And still, Keith tries to calm Shiro. 

“Yeah, pretty uneventful,” Keith says. “Only a meteor shower to dodge around Venus.” 

Shiro notices the smile that’s glued to his lips, not once leaving his face since Keith has entered the room.

Keith draws back slowly and Shiro mourns the loss. But it’s only for a second because Keith bends down and lets their noses touch and their eyes meet. Their lips meet and Shiro’s skin tingles. The best part of Keith’s missions is definitely Keith coming back.

Shiro takes the moment to cradle his prosthetic arms around Keith’s waist – tiny, so tiny, and firm, so easy for both of his hands to wrap around – and pull him down, letting him sit on one of his legs. In an instant, Keith wraps his hands around Shiro’s neck and, oh, it’s been a while since he felt Keith’s sharp teeth pulling on his lips. 

It’s pure bliss.

One of his hand sneaks higher, aiming for Keith’s cheek when it finds the pearls around Keith’s neck. 

“So, where did you get these pearls?” Shiro asks in between two kisses, his words getting muffled by another press of Keith’s lips against his.

“Atlantica has a mermaid village. Gave us tons of hospitality gifts.” Keith’s explanation is short as he heads for Shiro’s lips again. He seems just as eager as Shiro to make up for the time apart.

“A mermaid village?” Shiro asks when they break apart again. “I knew Atlantica is a very aquatic planet, but I did not know they have mermaids living there!” 

Keith shuffles where he's seated on Shiro's leg, shrugging. “They usually keep them a secret, fearing intergalactic tourism and bounty hunters.” 

“Well, good point,” Shiro says as he examines the pearls around Keith’s neck. They are pure white, like ivory, and glisten in a soft purple when Shiro turns them in the light.

“These are beautiful,” he says, mesmerized by the pearls. He’s not a jewelry person and forgets to wear his dog tags most days, but he still can adore this gorgeous creation of an alien planet’s nature. 

“You like them?” Keith looks weirdly flustered, his eyes fixed in the pearls in Shiro’s hand. His cheeks are slightly red and it’s the most adorable sight. 

“Keith, those are pearls you got from a hidden mermaid village on the other side of the universe. Ten years ago, all we ever wanted was to reach Kerberos and now… Look how far we’ve come!” 

Some days, Shiro still can’t believe his luck. Some days, Shiro still thinks he’s dreaming, and he’s about to wake up on the morning before the Kerberos mission, Voltron and the war just some weird hallucination, a side-effect of his medication. 

“Yeah, crazy, hu? Robot lions, space goo, alternate realities… Your boyfriend even found out he’s half-alien!” Keith ducks into a shy grin and it makes Shiro’s chest feels warm and fuzzy.

“And I love my half-alien boyfriend.” Shiro can’t help but smile as he places another kiss on Keith’s lips. It’s long and deep, Keith licking into his mouth and moaning the sweetest sounds against lips. 

When Keith breaks away, Shiro's sure it’s because he doesn't want them to get carried away in Shiro’s office. Again.

Keith’s cheeks are an adorable red by now as his fingers start fiddling with the pearls. 

“So,” he says, and it’s weirdly breathless. “If I made you a ring from this, would you wear it?” 

And just like that, Keith takes his breath away.

“Keith, I...” 

It’s not the first time Shiro’s thought about marriage. They had crossed the universe for each other and in this whole world, there’s no one that knows him as well as Keith does. They are soulmates, Shiro is sure, destined to meet and collide. The second they kissed for the first time was the second Shiro knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this hell of a man.

And still, Keith catches him completely off guard. 

“I’m sorry it was a stupid idea, forget what I said.” Keith shuffles in his lap, attempting to hurry away. Shiro’s arm around his waist prevents him from leaving. 

“No, wait, love.” As Shiro reaches for his face, he can look into Keith’s eyes, beautiful, purple, deep, Keith. And he knows there’s only ever been one answer to the question.

“I will wear your ring, Keith. But only if you wore mine.”

“Shiro, you’re serious?” Keith’s eyes are blown wide, his lips curl upwards.

“Yeah. Let’s get rings. Tomorrow morning. I’ll tell Veronica to cancel all my meetings.” With his free hand, Shiro tugs a few of Keith’s strands behind his ear before he bends forwards for another kiss. 

“But first…” In one swift motion, Shiro stands up, taking Keith with him – carrying him bridal style towards the door of his office.

His action stirs protest in Keith. “Shiro, let me down!” he says, but wraps his arms around Shiro’s neck for better leverage.

“Uhuh!”

“Where are you taking me?” Keith looks at him, a pout on his lips, and Shiro can’t help but feel charmed. 

A smug grin sneaks to his lips. “Taking my hot fiancé to bed to give him the welcome he deserves.”

Keith chuckles. “Hot fiancé? Have I met him?” 

“You bet I will go and tell everyone how hot and amazing my husband-to-be is.” Shiro can feel the smug grin on his lips. 

He wants it to stay there forever. It feels like walking on air, with Keith in his arms and the promise between them.

Fiancé. The word has a lovely roll to it. 

The hallways are empty and they are thankful for it. He’s still an Admiral and getting caught carrying his fiance to his quarters is anything but appropriate. Not that Shiro would mind.

“So, tell me more about those mermaids. Were they pretty?” Shiro whispers into Keith’s ear.

“Oh, are fins turning you on, now?” Keith buries his face in Shiro’s uniform, his laughter vibrating against Shiro’s chest.

“No, just jealous my hot fiancé got to see a hot merman.” The new title rolls from his lips so easily, it makes Shiro all giddy. 

Keith huffs before he answers. “They were actually quite ugly, not my type.” 

“So, who’s your type then?” Shiro asks once they make it to their shared quarters. He's still not willing to let Keith down.

“Shiro please, don’t make me say it.” Shiro can hear Keith roll his eyes against his chest.

And Shiro knows his best weapon against Keith is deadly. 

He pouts. 

“That’s unfair,” Keith says. 

But Shiro stays strong. The pout remains on his lips.

“Fine. All my love belongs to one big dork who should really let me down because I can walk by myself.” Shiro only laughs against Keith’s hair.

When Shiro lets him down eventually, it’s two minutes later and Keith’s lands between the pillows of their bed. 

And Shiro stays true to his word, showing his hot fiancé exactly how much he's missed him.

***

**Author's Note:**

> I'll try my best to reply to comments and would love to hear what you think!
> 
> You can find me on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/dropsofautumn)♡


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